Prince Harry extends tour in Nepal to help rebuild school hit by earthquake

Prince Harry has announced during an official visit to Nepal that he will extend his trip by six days to help rebuild a village school damaged during last year’s earthquake.

The 31-year-old made the announcement at the end of what was meant to be a five-day visit, during which he visited earthquake-damaged heritage sites, temples and a camp for people made homeless by the April 2015 disaster.

Prince Harry arrived in the nation on Saturday, marking his first trip to the Himalayan region and the first time the Royal Family has visited since Nepal abolished its centuries-old monarchy in 2008.

"The people I have met and the beauty of this country make it very hard to leave. Thankfully however, I'm not leaving just yet," he said at a reception hosted by the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

"I will be spending the next six days in a remote village with a charity called Team Rubicon. The team I'm joining will be working with a community to rebuild a school damaged in the earthquake."

Harry also made a visit to a makeshift school set up after the quake damaged the original building.

During his visit, he joined villagers celebrating the Hindu festival of colours, Holi, covering fellow revellers with red powder.

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Nearly 9000 people were killed and one million houses damaged by the earthquake. It also had devastating consequences for Nepal’s tourism industry, which drew foreign tourists to visit Hindu temples and trek mountain trails.

The royal said he had wanted to pay his respects to the many who died, and to show that the country is "open for business and has so much to offer".

"I hope that everyone back home who took an interest in the tour can see that Nepal is a country that you really have to come and visit," he said.

Nepal, a former kingdom, has been visited by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana.